


And it feels like jealousy

by FairyAscending



Series: (Natsu x Freed) Tender Feelings [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: He is so oblivious, Jealous Freed, Lisannas Return, M/M, Post-Edolas Arc, slight Heartache
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 12:42:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyAscending/pseuds/FairyAscending
Summary: Lisanna is back from Edolas. She was actually there the whole time. Fairy Tail is overjoyed and so is Freed...or at least he thinks so...why does it feel like his heart is being torn out when the youngest Strauss does so much as SPEAK to Natsu when she has all right to do so after 2 years?





	And it feels like jealousy

"CHEERS!", a bunch of voices were heared throughout the entire guild at Freed entered it alongside Evergreen and Bixlow. They had been on a solo gig this autumn, because even though they had opened up more to the guild, they mostly took jobs alongside each other or alone, since it was simply a routine they all were comfortable with.

"What it going on now?", Evergreen demanded to know.

It was kind of justified and Freed tried to ignore a comment made by Bickslow causing the two to bicker. Still...they had walked into a full-blown party. It did not take long for them to uncover the explanation and if you had brought something like this up in front of him a few weeks ago, he would have deemed you a case for the insane asylum, but right now the greenette saw the reason in the guildhall: Lisanna Strauss, Fairy Tails youngest Takeover mage, Natsus childhood best friend and younger silbling to Mirajane and Elfman...was alive...and this apperantly had been the case for the entirety of the 2 years following her apperant death at Elfman's hands. She had ended up in the parallel world of Edolas. The world Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Wendy and Gajeel apperantly had ended up in, while they had been away on their mission. Natsu really had some explaining to do now...in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY! Still...it was an unwritten rule of good manners that they first talked to Lisanna...and to be honest...Freed had cried too on the day Lisanna had apperantly died. Contrary to popular belief these days, he had always had a soft spot for his comrades which had been why he had hesitated when Laxus asked him to kill Cana and Juvia.

"Lisanna...", Freed soon started to gain the whiteheads attention who turned on her heel to face the three-man-team.

"This is a rockin' day baby!", Bixlow howled out, his babies squeaking in confirmation.

"I'm glad you made it home in one piece.", Freed added.

"Yes. Welcome back Lisanna.", Evergreen confirmed.

Freed saw the girls eyes widen at their statements. It was nothing to be surprised about since two years ago, they had not been persons you could socialize with in the eyes of others.

"The Thunderlegion! I never expected to see you here!", she gleefully returned their comments.

It was a truth Freed would rather not be reminded of, but luckily Evergreen managed to save the situation.

"Well, I can understand, why you'd be surprised..., but consider the guilds name. Right? Fairy! I'm the most fairy-like.", she reminded the younger one.

Freed let out a quiet chuckle at this and then left the second floor, since Lisanna was apperantly interested in a longer conversation with the sole female member of the Thunderlegion. He wanted to find Natsu now and pry more details about Edolas from him. Not only had he gone there with no regard for himself or what could happen, a thought that had sent a shiver down the rune mages spine, but the existance of a parallel world beyond Earthland had really spiked the older mans interest. The pinkette was of course not hard to find. 'Just follow the destruction' as some members of Fairy Tail had said sometimes. A few annoyed members were discussing the Natsu of Edolas, since apperantly this world had replicas of everyone in Earthland. Those few members were wondering if the Natsu of Edolas was as rambicious as their Natsu.

"Well actually he's more like this: 'Why are you so mean to me Lucy? What did I do to you?' He's a wimp!", Lisanna corrected them.

This made those few members burst out in laughter and wish they could have seein it too. Freed also started laughing slightly but he was doing his best to smother it, even though he could not help but be amused at the thought of a constantly teary-eyed Natsu.

"Quit laughing at the other me right now!", Natsu yelled at them and ony then did he notice the amused rune mage.

"Aw, come on Freed! You too?", he moaned.

"My apologies. But you can not deny that this is an amusing thought.", Freed tried to appease him, while wiping a tear of laughter out of his eye.

"He's right. It's cute! We are laughing with you and not about you.", Lisanna added.

This was it what caused a feeling what was similar to a punch in the gut in Freeds chest. A pain that was simply impossible to ignore, even if he had mastered the art of ignoring his own injuries for the sake of others a long time ago. Natsu soon got lost in the crowd again and went on his occasional rampage but Freed could not shake this feeling throughout the entire party. Evergreen and Bickslow occasionally stopped by to talk to him, but Freed could barely even pay attention. He wanted to talk to Natsu and find out everything about Edolas. He wanted to spend time with him...he wanted to be the one that stood at Lisannas place when it came to talking to the pinkhaired slayer. 

"Hey Freed.", he suddenly heared a high pitched voice and then witnessed Happy flying over to him.

"What's got you so down in the dumps?", the Exceed asked then, after witnessing the look on Freeds face and noticing the lack of a response to his greeting.

"You needn't concern yourself with it Happy.", the greenette awnsered plainly and simply.

"There must be something wrong, you don't even seem like you want to be here.", Happy started hammering Freed.

"It's really nothing.", Freed tried to play it off.

Happy was Natsus best friend and downright sensitive so he was treading on thin ice right now. No mistakes allowed, otherwise Natsu would know about his messed up feelings, the entire guild knew that Happy SUCKED at keeping secrets, and this would not end up good for him or his weirdly aching heart. Still...it almost felt like Lisanna was occupying a spot that he wanted to posess. When had this feeling set in? Just now? The time Natsu comforted him when he was harassed about missing Laxus? He had NO idea...and to make matters worse, Happy giggled next to him.

"So that's what it is. You liiiike him.", Happy grinned, drawing out the word "like".

"Happy! That is not the case, you liar!", Freed yelled.

This was almost a reflex, because as Happy mentioned anything about him liking Natsu, a warm wave had crashed through his chest and his heart started beating fast. Faster than he could ever imagined. No...Happy could not be right...and even if he was, it was not like Natsu ever could reciprocate those non-existant feelings.

"Why are you blushing like that Freed?", Happy kept on giggling.

"Happy, I'm warning you!", Freed returned his comment loudly and his hand glided to the handle of his rapier. 

Happy was starting to become aware of the seriousness of his situation and brought out his wings to take flight.

"I was just teasing, stop with the angry face.", the blue Exceed moaned, while his voice became more and more distant.

Freed burried his face in his hands, as soon as Happy was gone. He could feel the heat radiating from his face, his heart was beating fast. Was that just his anger against Happy? No...Happy was gone and that feeling was still there. The thought of Natsu...his smile, his warm and comforting hugs, him being the way he was...the feeling just would not vanish.

"Uhh...you alright Freed.", another new voice asked with evident concern.

Bickslow. That was all he needed: Meddling teammates who wanted to know every little thing about what he did. He did not seek to awnser the Skeith mage, even if he knew that his friend meant well.

"I'm sorry Bickslow, I...need a breath of fresh air.", he whispered, before he got up from his seat and left the guild.

He left through the backdoor and sat down in the sand, in front of the lake, where the members of Fairy Tail had gone swimming, before they had built the pool in the yard. It was a quiet and peaceful spot, perfect for taking some leave from the usual ruckus that was simply Fairy Tail. Still...he could not find any peace of mind...even all the way out here. He had to face it...he had scorned Natsu as the leader of Laxus bodyguard corps, had made friends with Natsu over the exile of his friend and harassment over missing him and now...now he had gone and fallen into one-sided love with him!!!  
Why someone like Natsu? It was the worst thing that could happen! Natsu did not even seem to know the first thing about love or romance and even if he did...there was Lucy, there was Lisanna, there was Levy and even of his own gender there were a lot of better options. His love would never be returned...

"There you are! You are a really fast runner, for someone so slender you know that?", a familliar female voice suddenly called out to him.

A certain whitehaired girl was closing in on him step by step. The life of todays party...Lisanna. Apperantly she had followed him out here.

"Lisanna...", he mumbled, turning his gaze away from her.

"What's wrong with you? I've been meaning to talk to you and then I have to find out from Bixlow that you outright fled the guild.", she asked, plopping down next to the greenette.

"You are missing your own party...", Freed pointed out quietly, but Lisanna did not give him any kind of awnser.

For a few minutes they sat in silence and watched the water, until Lisanna spoke up again.

"I heared about what happened to Laxus...I'm so, so sorry Freed. If I had been there, I would've testified for him.", Lisanna murmured.

Her voice was laced with honesty. Yes...this was how Lisanna had always been. Always seeing the good in anyone, but Freed could also sense that the exile of his best friend was not the reason that she had followed him out there. 

"You do know that this was never the reason I followed you. Perceptive as always.", the youngest Strauss laughed quietly.

"Why do you not admit it? The fact that you like Natsu...it's not like you can cover it up very well.", she added then.

Freed could not believe his ears. He had rarely been in the guild when the youngest Strauss had still been around but he knew that the young grils had taken a shine to Natsu and the feeling seemed to be mutual...who was he to get between to people which had a bond this strong?

"A lot has changed in those two years...you have become so easy to read...and Natsu and I have a different bond from the one back then. What I felt for Natsu was probably just a silly childhood crush, but you...it's like when I see you looking at him, I can see that you would crawl across this world for him, that you would never stay too far away from him and accept him with all his curves and edges...he needs to have someone like that...", Lisanna whispered.

"You...you fit the part too.", Freed stuttered at her comment. 

"No...I don't. I've been gone for too long but I can see that I can leave him in your hands...and between the two of us...while the Lucy here might be nice, she won't ever be able to be the way towards him that you are. She harps on him entirely too much that they would have to see a counsellor if they ever were to get married.", she joked.

Lisanna did not know about what Lucy had done to him, after Laxus' exile and the rune mage intended to keep it that way. This was no reason to ruin Lucy's reputation inside the guild after all...even though Freed honestly believed that she should learn to carry her weight around the guild. Lisannas hand touching the one that bore his guildmark snapped Freed out of his thoughts.

"Freed...it's wonderful that things happened the way they did. I will do my best to support you when it comes to Natsu and all I ask in return is that you take care of him.", she whispered then.

"Lisanna I...", Freed started again.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? It's okay.", she interrupted him and kissed his cheek in a sisterly way.

After this she stood up and pulled Freed to his feet too. As she pulled him back to the party another warm wave crashed through Freeds chest but not in the same way as with Natsu...more likely in a way it would feel with a supportive family member or a good friend and a faint breeze carried her words to his ears.

'Do your best.'

**Author's Note:**

> So...this is it. I know that it has been a long time, since I last posted but heck...I do not seek to sound arrogant but true art takes a while :p . The reconizeable lines are not mine, I simply copied them from the Anime. It might be a classical way to whip things out and it probably takes even longer until someone confesses but still...I hope you had fun with this and I hope to see you next time.


End file.
